1. Training large models requires a lot of capital and GPU
2. Large models (OpenAI, Anthropic etc.) are absorbing functionality offered by startups with new releases. For example, ChatGPT can perform numerous operations on CSV and PDF leaving hundreds of startups moot.
3. A negative climate has built whenever people say AI. This may be due to overmarketing, overpromise on what was possible.
4. No marketing budget for early stage startups
5. Biased treatment by large players. For example, Google promotes Reddit. Reddit promotes ChatGPT, Claude whenever someone signs up. Reddit immediately removes other startup posts whenever it reads like a promotion.
6. Hard to get people use new AI when they distrust or already have hundreds of other solutions offering same thing.
How do you differentiate in this case and how do you market? I know BoltAI got descent traction. Are there any other examples of how people are getting traction when building AI startup?
Suggest any marketing methods that you know worked either for your or other startups.
General advice though for any startup without getting into the specifics of any industry is to build an audience first if you can. You'll have a major head start on traction if you do, this can take a few forms but presenting yourself as a thought leader in the space you're looking to create a startup in is the best way, this could be via a newsletter, blog, podcast or general social media presence.
You can then use that platform to interact with your audience to find problems and ideas that resonate with them, and look at forming a startup and product ideas around that.